On the website of Project NoSpank ( www.nospank.net
), Debra L. Stang wrote about eight myths about spanking:

Myth

Comments

1. "Being spanked never hurt
anybody."

Spanking causes non-lethal physical hurt most
of the time, but it also creates mortification, psychological distress,
low self-esteem, masochism and depression that may be permanent.

2. "I was spanked, and I'm
okay."

People who were hit when they were vulnerable
children are more likely to think it is acceptable -- even desirable --
for a fully-grown adult to use painful physical force against a small
defenseless child.

3. "Some children need a good, hard
spanking."

The same immediate results could have been
achieved by non-violent means, so the real reason that some parents resort
to corporal punishment is to satisfy some of their own misguided needs.

4. "Spanking is the best way to
stop dangerous behavior in toddlers."

Small toddlers have short attention spans, so
that violent and non-violent methods have the same effectiveness.

5. "Being spanked keeps children out of
trouble."

While spanking may teach some children to
avoid certain behaviors out of fear of punishment, it does not teach them
to think about the rights and wrongs. Thus, this creates a future
generation of people who will excuse their appalling grown-up misdeeds by
saying "I was only following orders."

6. "Nothing but spanking works on some
children."

Spanking is no more or less effective
than non-violent means such as explanation, time out, or verbal command.

7. "Spanking isn't hitting or violence
-- it's discipline."

If an Alzheimer's patient is hit hard on the
buttocks by a nurse's aide for poking at an electrical outlet, it would be
considered physical battery under the law. Yet the same behavior
directed at a two-year-old child is considered just 'spanking' and thus
'sub-abusive.'

8. "Spanking is not harmful if it's done
by loving, supportive parents."

It is actually even more distressing for a
child to feel loved by the very adults who perpetrate violence against him
or her.

There is no accepted behavioral norm with respect to applying
corporal punishment on children. Some parents believe it, others ahbor
it. Much of the behavior seemed to have been inherited and propagated
within the family. In turn, there may be international differences with
respect to this issue.

We will now look at some survey data from the 2003 TGI Brasil
study. Within this survey, there are 8,907 persons between the ages of 20
to 64 years old who were interviewed during the year 2003. These survey
respondents were presented with the statement "Children need to be
physically punished once in a while." A total of 31% of the
respondent said that they totally agreed with this statement.

In the next chart below, we show the incidences by the gender
and sex. Within the category of domestic violence, there are spousal abuse
and child abuse. The majority of spousal abuse are committed by men
against women, as a result of the disparity in physical attributes as well as
the historical gender roles. In the matter of child abuse, men are less
likely to agree with women about dishing out physical punishment to
children. It would be speculative to say this is a case of displacement of
anger by women towards those who are even more vulnerable than them.

(Source: 2003 TGI Brasil)

In the next chart, we show the incidences by socio-economic
level, employment and education. There are evidently different sets of
attitudes by these socio-economic strata. A more enlightened approach
exists among the more affluent and better educated. A Marxist would have
probably said, "I told you so. It is in the interest of the
capitalist system to have the working class be brought up under a strict
disciplinary system where they toil hard, ask no questions and never
complain." Thus, the truncheons of the boss's goon squad are just as
irresistible and inexorable as the big open hands of the almighty parents.
Both are to be obeyed, since hard punishment will be doled out otherwise.